Tag Archives: Gloria Martin Roberts

Harrisburg, PA – Gloria Martin-Roberts appeared for a live interview Monday night on “Real Rap with Ron Chapel”, a local Harrisburg Facebook radio show. The topic of discussion was the Election Day #Rafflegate controversy in Harrisburg, PA.

The highlights of the scandal featured a voter raffle that offered cash and iPhone prizes. Campaign workers were posted at polling locations in the city on Election Day offering raffle tickets to potential voters. The initial claim by incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse suggested this raffle operated in cahoots with the write-in Mayoral campaign of Martin-Roberts, and was essentially bribing people to vote for her. This claim resulted in the ruling of a court injunction and subsequently the Dauphin County Sheriffs shutting down the campaign activity at the polls.

In the interview, Martin-Roberts disputed the claim that her campaign was involved and exposed Eric Papenfuse and Alex Hartzler for committing voter suppression at the polls on Election Day. She distanced her campaign from the raffle and adamantly cleared the name of herself and campaign treasurer James Ellison.

Martin-Roberts detailed the timeline of events that preceded Alex Hartzler summoning hired men from the Cork & Fork staff to intimidate campaign workers and voters at the polls. It was also mentioned that prior to the election, Harrisburg School Board Director candidate Carrie Fowler was circulating unauthorized distasteful material that falsely represented the Gloria Martin-Roberts Mayoral Campaign.

This account of the situation sheds light on the questionable reporting of Pennlive and theBurg throughout this controversy, and their apparent conflict of interest with the Harrisburg Mayor. It also has brought new attention to the severity of the democratic in-fighting in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg, PA – As reported by The Washington Post in 2008, the idea of a racial divide in the City of Harrisburg is not new to the election cycle, locally. In fact, the tense racial history of this city goes back for centuries.

Currently, in the aftermath of a local election which featured some smear campaigns, and became chippy at times, the incumbent Mayor Papenfuse has been reelected as the Democratic nominee for the upcoming general election, this fall. Now, ‘racial divide’ has resurfaced as an issue that has not yet found resolve in the fair city.

In a post-election interview, Mayoral challenger Lewis Butts issued a statement on his willingness to work with Papenfuse on the racial divide, and the need to make sure that all cultures are embraced:

From the follow-up commentary of the video, respondents describe a variety of opinions. One person said:

All cultures are not at a disadvantage, but black folk issues cannot be clumped with everyone else issues. We need to focus strictly on our own issues as black folk.

Of Papenfuse, another citizen mentioned:

[Papenfuse] needs a visionary, such as Lewis Butts, in his ear.

Of Butts, recent School Board Director elect, Carrie Fowler said:

Lewis Butts deserves a seat in [Papenfuse’s] administration. Harrisburg and it’s citizens would profit from his vision.

At a local polling center, city resident Beau Brown takes direct action towards unity, on the day of the election. Brown, and Tim Rowbottom are pictured here with the team of Gloria Martin-Roberts, an opposing challenger:

Brown comments:

Many of us had a great time running from poll to poll yesterday! While there was some mild tension (kind of fun), there was a lot of collective love for Harrisburg City.

Many of the Jennie Jenkins team had very great interactions, and discussions with members of the Gloria Martin-Roberts team while visiting these polls.

Mr. Eric R. Papenfuse – respectfully sir – this is how you heal divides. Just go talk to each other.

In another perspective on race, local BLM activist Katherine Lugaro, who is not happy about Papenfuse being reelected, also recently posted her disapproval of Sheriff David Clark joining forces with President Trump:

Exclusively for Harrisburg100, Lugaro offers a very in depth perspective on the controversy surrounding Sheriff David Clark:

Sheriff Clarke is a fascist that launched his career on Fox News as a self hating- black hating contributor. This is a trend at Fox, where they will pay/hire a self hating black gov’t official to come smear Black Lives Matter. Sheriff Clarke’s black hate reminds me of the old “Is WE sick boss” house negro, who will lay his life down for his white master and sell his fellow black slaves down the river. It’s the sickness of the House Negro, who runs the plantation and functions on the plantation as a free man…why would he want to upset the apple cart? Clarke is a fitting addition to the Trump Administration. No doubt about it…Clarke validates all the stereotypes held by rich white males in this country…why wouldn’t they love him? The list of reasons of why Clarke is a gross and telling pick for the Trump Administration goes on and on…. starting with Clarke seriously claiming that Black Lives Matter is going to work with ISIS to take over the country.

Harrisburg, PA – In the days leading up to the primary election for our local city government, the Mayoral candidates debate for a third and final time.

Consistently at the debates, and through their public speaking, the calm patience and logical reasoning of the less experienced candidates has been on display. It is the elder city politicians who have shown the truth about their ill-temperament, and inability to collaborate towards the good of the city. These attitudes of the old guard politicians in Harrisburg have led to gridlock, and the dysfunction of our city government.

For the voters of Harrisburg, it is time to move on from these negative campaigners, and look to the new up-and-coming candidates, who represent the political movement that is underway in our fair city.

Lewis Butts Jr., Anthony Harrell, and Jennie Jenkins represent the voices of Harrisburg citizens that have been silenced for too long.

In the opening minuets of the final Mayoral Debate, our so-called ‘leaders’ fight on stage while squabbling over Facebook postings, they debate who is more old guard, and discuss Papenfuse’s Midtown establishment:

Through thelofty romantic ideas, and extravagantly chivalrous action of Lewis Butts in these debates, and his public interviews, he continues to display his personal honor, generosity, courtesy, as well as his genuine passion for the City of Harrisburg.

Here, Butts chimes in on the ill-temperament of the experienced candidates, as they squabble over their past differences. He makes a huge point about the need to maintain civility, to enable the new candidates discussion about the future potential of Harrisburg:

Jennie Jenkins explains the problem of Harrisburg’s flawed crime reporting to the FBI. As it turns out, the ‘reduction‘ in city crime coincides with the implementation of the new computer system that has reduced the ability of the officers to properly complete police reports. These incorrectly reported statistics have been used by Mayor Papenfuse to tout his administration’s success in reducing crime within Harrisburg.

This claim of reduced city crime statistics is widely disputed by the actual experiences of Harrisburg residents. The vast inconsistencies that exist between citizen reporting, versus police reporting of crime incidents, have recently come to light:

Papenfuse is “proud to lead the resistance” against the leader of the free world, while pitting Harrisburg at ground zero in his bosses war on Republicans:

Gloria Martin-Roberts explains her lack of knowledge regarding the major city failure of the Harrisburg Incinerator Debacle that took place under her watch, while leading city council.

Papenfuse rebuts her claims of ignorance, and admits that he regrets his controversial Pennlive ban:

New Video Coming Soon: Lewis Butts Calls Out PennLive for their heavily biased journalism, and their remarks about his “Quixotic bid for mayor.”

Update: In a facebook posting today, as for the fate of the failed attempt by our current city administration to produce a completed Comprehensive Plan ($200,000 wasted), Beau Brown updates the city on the efforts of Mayoral Candidate Jennie Jenkins to make right the lack of due diligence by Papenfuse and his out-of-town associates.

Jenkins plans to work with the contracted Engineer to complete the plan, and to keep the city out of court.

By participating in the hiring of a member of his law firm through the HA & again violated Section 1103(a) when he signed checks for Bruber-individual he got hired by Torres the then E.D..Ellison is equity partner at firm so directing any business to is in violation, as if the aforementioned signing of checks to said individual.- Paid $2,297 settlement-8th link

Was forced to resign from chairman of HA as a result of the violations-9th link

While on the board of school control(appointed by Reed) approved more than 100$ million relating to bonds.-9th link

Many controversial bond deals(including bonds related to the incinerator) were made while he was the City Solicitor-9th link

Tax liens- while Ellison and Rhods/Sinon represented CASD, the district ‘sold millions of dollars in delinquent property tax claims to third parties’ A poor business venture- they lost money. HA made $30,000 in fees from 2005-2007 from the sale of said items- 2nd link

While working at Rhoads & Sinon the firm represented CDSD. Ellison served as Insurance defense counsel and solicitor for CDSD. The firm billed CDSD 189,527$ for 1,064.52 hours of which- ‘The records also show that attorney James Ellison billed the district for an hour for an interview he gave to Patriot-News reporter Mary Klaus. The firm also billed the school district for an e-mail it sent regarding a Right-to-Know request the bus drivers sent to the school district.The firm also billed the school district for research it did on defamation after Epstein wrote an article on a blog. It also billed the district for reviewing a draft denial of a Right-to-Know request’- 12th link

As a result of the combination of Linda Thompson making good on a campaign promise and Ellison giving bad legal advice; Rhoads and Sinon was ordered to pay $250,000 of a $2.4mil settlement with Gerald Kohn. Harrisburg SD paid $125,000. The rest was paid by insurers. Linda Thompson didn’t pay a cent- 4th link/ 6th link/ 7th link

James Ellison activity on Board of Control

Ellison Rhoads and Sinon largest donor to campaign during Linda Thompson election

2010-1 year left of mayoral control of Harrisburg School Board, Linda Thompson appoints Gloria Martin Roberts to Board of Control

Previous solicitors billed 1.2mill over 5 years/ Ellison proceeded to bill over 500k in less than a years time- he got into documented legal trouble for similar behavior with Central Dauphin SD and Coatesville SD. His actions with HbgSD were never scrutinized.

Ellison acting as Solicitor, Kohn, ended up costing millions

For services rendered to Board of Control-checks rarely itemized. We have examples of the checks. The checks were signed by GMR and invoiced by JE

Now, as a follow-up to the debate, Papenfuse’s exclusive publisher, Pennlive, has painted a picture in support of the incumbent, while tarnishing the reputation of his opponents, Martin-Roberts and Jennie Jenkins. To stay on the offensive and avoid being targeted for his repeatative failures, Mayor Papenfuse directly attacked Gloria Martin-Roberts and her Campaign Treasure in Tuesday nights Mayoral deabte.

Analyst agree that any securely seated incumbant mayor ought to take the high road, by touting their accomplishments, while showing respect to the challenging candidates. The actions of Papenfuse are not becoming of a Mayor who is expected to be looked up to for leadership in the beautiful Capital City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Papenfuse took a jab at both Ellison and Martin-Roberts later in the debate when he was asked whether bankruptcy would have been better for the city than entering the state’s Act 47 program for financially struggling cities.

The mayor noted that Martin-Roberts on city council, and Ellison, as chair of the Harrisburg Authority, both voted in 2007 to double the incinerator debt by pursuing a retrofit. – Pennlive

According to a Harrisburg Citizen: “The lady who was arrested identified herself by name to a resident who resides on Market Street, who attempted to get her signature. The arrestee was told, “no thanks, I am supporting GMR”, and the arrestee did not want to leave her property.”

We are seeking clarification on this, check back for an update.

Also breaking today is a video interview of Gloria Martin-Roberts calling out Papenfuse’s conflict of interest with his ownership of multiple Midtown properties, while using city resources, and tax dollars to fight for his personal interest in that area.

According to a Harrisburg citizen: “The lady who was arrested identified herself by name to a resident who resides on Market Street, who attempted to get her signature. The arrestee was told, “no thanks, I am supporting GMR”, and the arrestee did not want to leave her property.”

We are seeking clarification on this, check back for an update.

In video interview, Gloria Martin-Roberts highlights Papenfuse’s conflict of interest with his ownership of multiple Midtown properties, while using city resources, and tax dollars to fight for his personal interest in that area.

$8 Million has gone towards Midtown projects

Papenfuse owns 8 properties in Midtown

Eric Papenfuse has no comment.

It was Mayoral candidate Jennie Jenkins who stood out in the Midtown Democratic Debate, in May. Of all the candidates, she has also been the most actively involved with the community.

According to a Harrisburg citizen: “The lady who was arrested identified herself by name to a resident who resides on Market Street, who attempted to get her signature. The arrestee was told, “no thanks, I am supporting GMR”, and the arrestee did not want to leave her property.”

Also breaking today is a video interview of Gloria Martin-Roberts calling out Papenfuse’s conflict of interest with his ownership of multiple Midtown properties, while using city resources, and tax dollars to fight for his personal interest in that area.